College Students’ Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Fresh Apple Varieties in Peru

We investigate Peruvian college students’ preferences for fresh apple quality attributes. We conducted a sensory taste test and incentive-compatible experimental auction to elicit preferences for three apple varieties available in the Peruvian market: ‘Delicia’, ‘Royal Gala’, and ‘Fuji’. We found that college students participating in our sensory taste test preferred apples with the ‘Royal Gala’ quality profile over ‘Delicia’ and ‘Fuji’. Revealing the name of the apple variety and its associated country of origin did not affect willingness to pay. In general, panelists were willing to pay a price premium for larger fruit sizes and higher crispness. Our findings underscore the importance of appearance and eating quality apple attributes on overall preference and willingness to pay. This information, although not representative of the general Peruvian population, could serve as an indication of the factors deemed most important to individuals when choosing to consume a fruit product